Meet the man who brought food back to the Lower 9th Ward

"The lower ninth ward is the only part of New Orleans where you still will see Katrina."

Burnell Cotlon is a lifelong resident of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans and he's become somewhat of a local celebrity, with journalists coming from far and wide to tell his tale.

Cotlon has been hailed for opening a grocery store. That might seem like a pretty mundane achievement, but the Lower 9th Ward, which was completely ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, didn't have a single grocery store until he opened the Lower 9th Ward Market in late 2014.

He says he spent his entire life savings to open the store, but it's worth it to him.

While many other parts of New Orleans have been restored to their pre-storm state, his neighborhood still has rundown buildings and empty lots. Cotlon believes that's one of the reasons many of his old neighbors left town for other cities and never returned.

"Why should I come back? There's no stores there," he says.

See the damage in the Lower Ninth Ward post-Katrina:

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Katrina 10 year: Ninth Ward damage

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Meet the man who brought food back to the Lower 9th Ward

NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: A man holds himself on his porch in Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005 after hurricane Katrina slammed Louisiana as a category 4 storm. Much of New Orleans was flooded after levies broke and water rushed into the city. (Photo by Marko Georgiev/Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - CIRCA 2002: Partially-submerged cars and houses make for a surreal sight in the flooded Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, La. Parts of the low-lying district were swallowed up by 20 feet of water when Hurricane Katrina slammed the city last week. Large swaths of New Orleans still remain under several feet of filthy water, and federal officials say it could take months to drain it. (Photo by Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - CIRCA 2002: Lonzo Cutler, 34, who doesn't want to leave his pit bull behind, cradles the dog in front of his flooded home in the Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, La., as the rest of his family (in background) waits for rescuers to help them escape the barely-habitable area. As the Big Easy evacuates, already traumatized victims of Hurricane Katrina are making a choice: Head for safety or stay behind with a beloved pet. (Photo by Corey Sipkin/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: Swat police officer Cris Mandry navigates a rescue boat through a flooded alley looking for survivors in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina slammed Louisiana as a category 4 storm, forcing levies to brake and flooding much of New Orleans. (Photo by Marko Georgiev/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: An unidentified woman makes her way through a hole in the roof of a flooded house in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina slammed Louisiana as a category 4 storm, forcing levies to brake and flooding much of New Orleans. (Photo by Marko Georgiev/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: Swat police officers rescue a unidentified person from the flooded Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina slammed Louisiana as a category 4 storm, forcing levies to brake and flooding much of New Orleans. (Photo by Marko Georgiev/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 29: Unidentified people just rescued from the Lower Ninth Ward recuperate on the St. Cloud bridge in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 29, 2005. Hurricane Katrina slammed Louisiana as a category 4 storm, breaking levies and flooding much of New Orleans. (Photo by Marko Georgiev/Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - CIRCA 2002: The front porch is all that remains of a lower Ninth Ward house in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Linda Rosier/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 04: A man walks through brackish water as he makes his way through the poor Ninth Ward neighborhood September 4, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina dealt New Orleans a devastating blow when it came ashore August 29, flooding the city and causing a death toll that officials fear will be in the thousands. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 08: Holdout Howard Gillett is reflected in a mirror on his front porch in the heavily damaged ninth ward in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina September 8, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Gillett and his family intend to stay at their home despite orders to evacuate. Authorities have said they are planning forcible evacuations of residents who refuse to leave. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The streets of New Orleans Ninth Ward are still fllooded more than a week after Hurricane Katrina caused numerous levee breaks, Friday, September 9, 2005. (Photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 12: US Army National Guard soldiers from Oregon gather on a street corner while conducting search operations September 11, 2005 in the Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. Rescue efforts and clean up continue in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina two weeks after the deadly storm hit. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 12: A military helicopter flies September 12, 2005 over Harold Irvin, Sr., who is staying with his son Glen after his house in New Orleans' 9th Ward was covered by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Both Irvin and his son refuse to leave their home, despite pressure from police. (Photo by Timothy Fadek/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 5: Paul Garrett, 56, and his neighbor's dog, Rusty, whom he rescued during Hurricane Katrina, walk the streets of the 9th ward on their way home. 'Everybody left,' said Garrett, a former longshoreman. 'I stayed.' Garrett said he stayed to help the neighborhood's elderly and sick. 'Everybody can't leave,' he said. 'I'm lookin' [sic] out for people who can't help themselves. Especially the older people. See, I'm just a 'junior citizen.' They're 'senior citizens',' he continued. 'You got a lot of people in this city who don't care for each other. I feel like we should pull together now instead of apart. It's gotten worse. It's not right,' he said. (Photo by Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

A tattered US flag waves on a pole in the devastated Ninth ward of New Orleans, Louisiana 21 September 2005, most of the neighborhood was flooded and destroyed by the water following Hurricane Katrina. Authorities have finished removing bodies from New Orleans flood waters, but the search for the dead goes on inside homes, Mayor Ray Nagin said Wednesday. The death toll from Hurricane Katrina rose above 1,000 Wednesday as 63 more bodies have been recovered in Louisiana, authorities said. AFP PHOTO/Menahem KAHANA (Photo credit should read MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP/Getty Images)

UNITED STATES - SEPTEMBER 16: A film crew documents the levee breech along the industrial canal near Arabi, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina's landing in New Orleans. This breech caused massive flooding and destruction of homes in the lower 9th Ward. Much of this flooding had drained by Friday, September 16, 2005. (Photo by Scott Saltzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 11: A Drug Enforcement Agent (DEA) marks a building with spray paint after searching for survivors September 11, 2005 in the Ninth Ward district of New Orleans, Louisiana. Rescue efforts and clean up continue in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina fourteen days after the deadly storm hit. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 11: Two dogs run past a house marked with a note, 'Dead Body Inside' September 11, 2005 in the Ninth Ward district of New Orleans, Louisiana. Rescue efforts and clean up continue in the areas hit by Hurricane Katrina fourteen days after the deadly storm hit. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 16: A mix of oil and water and sewerage still lingers in areas of the Ninth Ward on September 16, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hurricane swept though the area 19 days ago and left much of the city under water and without power. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 16: A car is covered in mud, debris and sewerage left by Hurricane Katrina in the Ninth Ward on September 16, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hurricane swept though the area 19 days ago and left much of the city under water and without power. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

New Orleans, UNITED STATES: A thick layer of mud covers the streets of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans after the water receded 18 September 2005, The area was one of the most severely damaged when hurricane Katrina hit the city three weeks ago. AFP PHOTO/Omar TORRES (Photo credit should read OMAR TORRES/AFP/Getty Images)

New Orleans, UNITED STATES: A boat reamins in front of a house in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans 18 September 2005, The area was one of the most severely damaged when Hurricane Katrina hit the city three weeks ago. AFP PHOTO/Omar TORRES (Photo credit should read OMAR TORRES/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 23: Water flows through a breach in the repaired Inner Harbor Canal towards the Ninth Ward District September 23, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rain and wind has started to hit New Orleans as Hurricane Rita passes through the Gulf of Mexico just over three weeks after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 23: A toilet sits in water coming from a breach in the repaired Inner Harbor Canal as water flows towards houses in the Ninth Ward District September 23, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Rain and wind has started to hit New Orleans as Hurricane Rita passes through the Gulf of Mexico just over three weeks after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Areas of the Ninth Ward in New Orleans are still flooded after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, 26 September 2005. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is allowing business owners back into the Central Business District (CBD) starting 26 September 2005. The CBD was not flooded by either hurricane. AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES: Local artist Jeffery Holmes looks out from the balcony of his home (center in background) of a part of his 'toxic art' exhibition on the median of the roadway in front of his home in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, 27 September 2005. The 'toxic art' consists of artworks from his home by himself and his wife, as well as everyday items from their home, all of which were ruined by the floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina. AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, UNITED STATES: Palazzolo Simmons, 49, looks out over his home neighborhood for the first time since Hurricane Katrina in the mostly poor and black Lower Ninth Ward section of New Orleans, 02 October 2005. Simmons, who said his home was destroyed and would never come back, was riding with his neighbors from the Ninth Ward on a customized monster truck brought to the city by a private citizen from Florida to let the local population get a look in the area still unpassable to regular cars. While New Orleanians in more upscale neighborhoods are being urged to return home, their counterparts from the poorest areas hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina are forced to sneak past police checkpoints to see for the first time the renmants of their life. AFP PHOTO / Robyn Beck (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 11: Lorriane Macell on her porch in the lower ninth ward of New Orleans, Louisiana on November 11, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.(Photo by Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 21: Zadie Smith rests while cleaning her home in the heavily damaged Ninth Ward November 21, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Smith is attempting clean up her home because she says she cannot afford to pay workers to clean it. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 24: A car adorned with a toy reindeer, Christmas lights and a spray-painted 'Merry Christmas' message is seen in the heavily damaged Lower Ninth Ward December 24, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Nearly four months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, the worst-hit parts of New Orleans and surrounding areas are still uninhabitable. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 24: A destroyed house is seen in the heavily damaged Lower Ninth Ward December 24, 2005 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Nearly four months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the area, the worst-hit parts of New Orleans and surrounding areas are still uninhabitable. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 7: A home destroyed by Hurricane Katrina is seen on January 7, 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans City council has agreed to wait two more weeks before starting to tear down damaged homes as a federal judge decides if he will hear a challenge from local community activists. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - JANUARY 10: Keith Jackson takes a picture of the rubble surrounding the remains of his aunt's home in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana on January 10, 2006. The home was destroyed when the Industrial Canal levee was breeched and floodwaters inundated the neighborhood, during Hurricane Katrina, in August 2005. (Photo by Andy Nelson/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS - FEBRUARY 20: Flood damaged homes are lit by car headlights after dark in the Lower Ninth Ward February 20, 2006 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The hurricane-ravaged Ninth Ward mostly still does not have power, and majority of the homes are uninhabitable as the city begins celebrating Mardi Gras. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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He hopes the "come in, we're open" sign on the front door will help change their minds and help finally resurrect the community and bring the robust recovery that's yet to be realized.

"I really believe that as business come back, people are going to come back, and the lower ninth ward will look like the rest of the city," Cotlon says.

"Here in New Orleans, everybody have a Katrina story. But you know what? Everybody has a comeback story, even the residents in the Lower 9th Ward," he says. "That's what we do here in New Orleans as a whole. We come back, and we always going to come back."

Related: Photos of present day New Orleans and how the city bounced back:

45PHOTOS

Katrina 10 year: Present day Louisiana

See Gallery

Meet the man who brought food back to the Lower 9th Ward

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 27: People walk in Crescent Park in the Bywater neighborhood on August 27, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. President Obama spoke to a crowd in the Lower Ninth Ward today which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina's flooding. The 10th anniversary of the storm is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 27: People visit the newly erected historic marker at the site where the Lower Ninth Ward levee failed on August 27, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The new levee stands in the background. President Obama spoke to a crowd in the Lower Ninth Ward today which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina's flooding. The 10th anniversary of the storm is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 27: People walk past a restaurant on August 27, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. President Obama spoke to a crowd in the Lower Ninth Ward today which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina's flooding. The 10th anniversary of the storm is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 27: A bicyclist pedals through the streets in the French Quarter on August 27, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tourists have returned as the town prepares to honor the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, on August 29. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

New Orleans is seen from Air Force One after departing Louis Armstrong International Airport on August 27, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. US President Barack Obama traveled to New Orleans to survey progress 10 years after Hurricane Katrina. AFP PHOTO/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 25: Brandan 'BMike' Odums' Wall of Peace mural nears completion on The Grand Theater, vacant since Hurricane Katrina, on August 25, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The mural is part of Russell Simmons' RushCard Keep The Peace campaign. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 24: A wrecked ship remains from Hurricane Katrina flooding near a wetlands area on August 24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 24: Old homes and vacant lots in the Lower Ninth Ward on August 24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The area was one of the most heavily devastated areas of the city following a levee breach along the Industrial Canal during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 24: A baseball field is lit near Lake Pontchartrain on August 24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The waters from the lake inundated New Orleans following the storm surge from Hurricane Katrina. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 24: Workers clear an overgrown lot in the Lower Ninth Ward on August 24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The area was one of the most heavily devastated areas of the city following a levee breach during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Much of the area has yet to be rebuilt and some areas and lots have been overtaken by nature. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 24: Robert Fuselier climbs to do caulk work on a home in Musician's Village on August 24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Musician's Village homes were constructed following Hurricane Katrina in the Upper Ninth Ward in an effort to house dozens of musicians and their families who were displaced by the storm. Some of the homes, constructed mostly by volunteers, are now in need of repair work. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 24: Wrecked shipping containers and other debris remain from Hurricane Katrina flooding near a wetlands area on August 24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 24: The Mercedes-Benz Superdome stands (Top R) downtown near the abandoned Charity Hospital (Lower L), which was flooded during Hurricane Katrina and never re-opened, on August 24, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Superdome site was used as a 'shelter of last resort' during Hurricane Katrina. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 23: The Superdome (LOWER C) stands downtown in an aerial view on August 23, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The overgrown interior of an abandoned house, damaged by Hurricane Katrina, is seen in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans on August 17, 2015. Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina swept buildings off their foundations and deluged nearly all of New Orleans with floodwaters which rose so fast some people drowned in their homes. Those who made it to their rooftops or the relative safety of dry land waited days to be rescued as the Big Easy descended into chaos. Today, colorful homes on stilts have replaced many of the rotting hulks left behind after the low-lying coastal city in the southern United States was finally drained. AFP PHOTO / LEE CELANO (Photo credit should read LEE CELANO/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 20: Twin brothers and Hurricane Katrina survivors De'Shane and Dennis Sims, 14, pose before departing in a pickup truck after training at the Running Bear Boxing Club, run by their grandfather Harry Sims next to his home in the Lower Ninth Ward, on August 20, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The teens were four years old when they were rescued from the flooding in the neighborhood by their grandfather and taken to the Superdome. The gym was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina and it took about three years for Sims to be able to reuild the club. A number of youngsters train there on afternoons after school. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

A view of the Lower Ninth Ward and Industrial Canal of New Orleans near a point where a levee was breached during Hurricane Katrina on August 17, 2015. Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina swept buildings off their foundations and deluged nearly all of New Orleans with floodwaters which rose so fast some people drowned in their homes. Those who made it to their rooftops or the relative safety of dry land waited days to be rescued as the Big Easy descended into chaos. Today, colorful homes on stilts have replaced many of the rotting hulks left behind after the low-lying coastal city in the southern United States was finally drained. AFP PHOTO / LEE CELANO (Photo credit should read LEE CELANO/AFP/Getty Images)

An abandoned house, damaged by Hurricane Katrina, is seen in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans on August 15, 2015. Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina swept buildings off their foundations and deluged nearly all of New Orleans with floodwaters which rose so fast some people drowned in their homes. Those who made it to their rooftops or the relative safety of dry land waited days to be rescued as the Big Easy descended into chaos. Today, colorful homes on stilts have replaced many of the rotting hulks left behind after the low-lying coastal city in the southern United States was finally drained. AFP PHOTO / LEE CELANO (Photo credit should read LEE CELANO/AFP/Getty Images)

Trucks cross the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal Surge Barrier on Lake Borgne in New Orleans on August 17, 2015. Ten years ago, Hurricane Katrina swept buildings off their foundations and deluged nearly all of New Orleans with floodwaters which rose so fast some people drowned in their homes. Those who made it to their rooftops or the relative safety of dry land waited days to be rescued as the Big Easy descended into chaos. Today, colorful homes on stilts have replaced many of the rotting hulks left behind after the low-lying coastal city in the southern United States was finally drained. AFP PHOTO / LEE CELANO (Photo credit should read LEE CELANO/AFP/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 22: Mary Picot looks stands in front of her home near a levee in the Lower Ninth Ward, on July 22, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her original house was destroyed when the levee broke. It's been ten years since hurricane Katrina devastated neighborhoods throughout the city. Her house was built by Brad Pitt's foundation. While many homes have been rebuilt, there are still many empty lots where homes used to stand. (Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 22: New homes stand just across from a levee in the Lower Ninth Ward, on July 22, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's been ten years since hurricane Katrina devastated neighborhoods throughout the city. This area was wiped out when this levee broke after the storm. These homes were built by Brad Pitt's foundation. While many homes have been rebuilt, there are still many empty lots where homes used to stand. (Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 22: A damaged home in an overgrown lot stands empty in the Lower Ninth Ward, on July 22, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's been ten years since hurricane Katrina devastated neighborhoods throughout the city. This neighborhood was wiped out when the nearby levee broke. While many homes have been rebuilt, there are still many empty lots where homes used to stand. (Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 28: A young boy rides his bike through a housing development that was built in the Upper Ninth Ward after Katrina destroyed neighborhoods when levies broke, on May 28, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Low-income residents who lost their homes live here and either rent or own their homes. It has been almost 10 years since hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, devastating many neighborhoods. Rebuilding has been slow and controversial. (Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 18: A woman walks along the rebuilt Industrial Canal levee wall in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 18, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The levee was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina and people have been slowly moving back to the formerly devastated neighborhood ever since. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 17: Club members march past the historic Carver Theater, named for former slave and famed botanist and inventor George Washington Carver, during the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club 'second line' parade on May 17, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Traditional second line parades are put on by social aid and pleasure clubs organized by neighborhood in New Orleans. The parades represent a history of solidarity, empowerment and cultural pride within the African-American enclaves of the city. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JULY 22: A sign in an empty, overgrown lot in the Lower Ninth Ward says 'I want my tax dollars used on my streets,' on July 22, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It's been ten years since hurricane Katrina devastated neighborhoods throughout the city. This neighborhood was wiped out when the nearby levee broke. While many homes have been rebuilt, there are still many empty lots where homes used to stand. (Photo by Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 17: Kids jump rope at the Sobaluavro family home at the conclusion of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club 'second line' parade on May 17, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Traditional second line parades are put on by social aid and pleasure clubs organized by neighborhood in New Orleans. The parades represent a history of solidarity, empowerment and cultural pride within the African-American enclaves of the city. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 16: A home which was flooded during Hurricane Katrina remains abandoned in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 16, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. While many areas of the city have recovered, much of the Lower Ninth Ward remains uninhabited. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 16: A home which was flooded during Hurricane Katrina remains abandoned in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 16, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. While many areas of the city have recovered, much of the Lower Ninth Ward remains uninhabited. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 15: Freight trains wait on railroad tracks with the city skyline in the distance on May 15, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 14: A McDonogh #35 Senior High School graduates walks to her commencement at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on May 14, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Thousands of Hurricane Katrina survivors attempted to use the convention center as a shelter of last resort in the days following the storm, yet it lacked power, water, food and medical supplies. McDonogh 35 was damaged by flooding from Hurricane Katrina and was the first high school for African-Americans in the state of Louisiana. It is one of the last remaining traditional public schools in the city. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 14: Survivor Robert Green pauses while posing in front of his new home, constructed by the Make It Right Foundation, in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 14, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. His mother and granddaughter perished after clinging to the roof during flooding of their former home on the same location in the Lower Ninth. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,836 people and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 13: Students attend dance class at the Encore Academy charter school on May 13, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. More than 100 schools in the city were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Following Katrina, New Orleans' decimated public school system was almost entirely revamped and now approximately 94 percent of city students attend independently run charter schools. Encore Academy's performing arts focused program is outpacing most other open admission charter schools in academic performance in the city. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 13: People wait in line to enter a restaurant in the French Quarter on May 13, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,836 people and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 12: Barry sits beneath an overpass on May 12, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. While Hurricane Katrina drove many in the city into homelessness, New Orleans has recently become the first city in the nation to declare an end to veteran homelessness. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,836 people and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 12: A 'No Parking' sign stands amidst overgrowth in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 12, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The area was heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina and some formerly inhabited sections have been overtaken by nature. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 12: Broken steps are all that remain from a home destroyed by Hurricane Katrina flooding in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 12, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Residents continue to slowly return to the Lower Ninth Ward although much of the area remains uninhabited. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 11: An abandoned lot and a home stand in front of the rebuilt Industrial Canal levee wall in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 11, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The levee was destroyed during Hurricane Katrina and people have been slowly moving back to the formerly devastated neighborhood ever since. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 10: People gather in the community that was formerly the St. Bernard housing projects, which flooded during Hurricane Katrina, on May 10, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The formerly crime-ridden projects have been tranformed into mixed-income housing now known as Columbia Parc at the Bayou District. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 10: A girl sits near an overpass on May 10, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 9: A car drives in the French Quarter on May 9, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 09: Landrum Hughes and Julie Hughes celebrate their wedding with a 'second line' parade through the French Quarter on May 9, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. Around 80 percent of the city flooded in the aftermath of the storm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 10: People gather in the community that was formerly the St. Bernard housing projects, which flooded during Hurricane Katrina, on May 10, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The formerly crime-ridden projects have been tranformed into mixed-income housing now known as Columbia Parc at the Bayou District. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1836 and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 12: Rubble remains at the forner B.W. Cooper housing projects on May 12, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The low-income housing development, which was plagued by crime, has been replaced by two-story, townhouse-style buildings. The city has revamped its major housing projects following Katrina. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,836 people and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MAY 16: A woman walks with a dog in the Lower Ninth Ward on May 16, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which killed at least 1,836 people and is considered the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history, is August 29. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)